On Thursday, October 26th, the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, along with the Centre for Blood Research (CBR), presented the fifth annual Michael John Page Postdoctoral Award to Dr. Jürgen Niesser, a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Natalie Strynadka’s lab. The Michael John Page Postdoctoral Fellow Award, established in 2013, honours the memory of UBC alumnus, Dr. Michael John Page. This award recognizes a Postdoctoral Fellow who reflects Dr. Page’s academic excellence and his passion for life.
Dr. Ross MacGillivray and Roger Page (Michael Page’s father) presented this year’s award at a ceremony where Jürgen gave a lively and humorous talk to a receptive audience, followed by an award reception. Jürgen’s talk was entitled, “Blurring the Lines between Fun and Science,” highlighting his academic journey thus far (complete with many stories of lab member camaraderie and antics). Jürgen earned his PhD in Biochemistry and Structural Biology with Patrick Cramer at the University of Munich and the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen, Germany. Currently, Jürgen’s work in the Strynadka lab focuses on multiple novel target-inhibitor complexes related to cancer and neurological disorders. (To view photos of the award event, visit the CBR Facebook page.)
